Election Denier Hakeem Jeffries Announces Bid for House Minority Leader

Election denier Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) officially announced his bid for House minority leader on Friday.

If Jeffries’ effort to replace Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is successful, he would presumably become the first election denier, as well as the first black man, to lead the Democrat caucus.

Jeffries, 52, is a lawyer from central Brooklyn and a self-described far-left Democrat. He was first elected to the House in 2013 and has served as the chair of the House Democrat Caucus since 2019.

“Our top non-governmental priority, for the sake of the American people, must be retaking the majority in November 2024,” he wrote in a letter to House Democrats before claiming he wants to work with Republicans.

“It is my hope that we can find common ground where possible with our Republican colleagues in order to deliver results for the American people,” he said.

After suggesting he would work with House Republicans, Jeffries slammed GOP House members for not wanting to “accomplish anything meaningful” due to “bankruptcy of ideas” and “disinformation.”

“At the same time, the opposing party appears to have no plan to accomplish anything meaningful. If the Republican Conference continues to major in demagoguery and minor in disinformation, their bankruptcy of ideas must be aggressively exposed on an ongoing basis,” he said.

Jeffries also appeared to try to quell infighting among Democrats by suggesting that if he were elected, he would give “every single” Democrat an “authentic seat” in his caucus.

“It will be my mission to make sure that every single Member of the Caucus has an authentic seat at the legislative table and the maximum opportunity to excel,” he said. “That is my promise to you.”

Jeffries’s announcement comes after Pelosi resigned from her leadership position Thursday on the House floor. “The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic Caucus that I greatly respect,” she said.

After she stepped down, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), two senior House Democrats under Pelosi, endorsed Jeffries.